Five ISS Astronauts Shelter in SpaceX Dragon During Russian Air Leak Repair Attempt
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) were directed to take shelter in an attached SpaceX Dragon "Freedom" shuttle on Friday afternoon, preparing for a potential evacuation as an air leak in the Russian segment intensified. Five of the seven crew members entered the docked spacecraft.
Meanwhile, two Russian cosmonauts remained on the ISS, attempting to repair a section of the Russian segment where air loss had accelerated since Monday. The specific area affected was the transfer tunnel, known as PrK, leading to the Zvezda service module.
The decision to move crew to the Dragon, which functions as a lifeboat ready for immediate undocking and return to Earth, was prompted by the worsening leak and the repair method being employed. According to reports, the Russian cosmonauts, station commander Sergey Kud-Sverchkov and flight engineer Sergei Mikaev, were using a saw to access the source of the leak.
NASA mission control in Houston reportedly disagreed with this method, instructing the five non-Russian crew members – Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway, Sophie Adenot, Andrey Fedyaev, and Chris Williams – to initiate "safe-haven" procedures. They were told to don spacesuits in readiness for an emergency return to Earth.
Subsequently, Russian space agency Roscosmos ordered its crew to pause the repair efforts. Following this, NASA instructed all astronauts to return to their planned operations aboard the ISS, ending the safe-haven protocol. Roscosmos stated that the safety of the crew and the ISS systems was never threatened.
This is not the first instance of leaks on the ISS; similar cracks have been a persistent problem for approximately six years. A recent slow pressure drop, observed after the arrival of a Russian cargo ship last month, prompted the latest, more extensive repair attempt. The ISS, a collaborative endeavour primarily led by the US and Russia, has been continuously crewed since 1998.
